


Fresh Snow

by Sweetfang



Category: A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), A Nightmare on Elm Street - All Media Types
Genre: As fluffy a story with these characters can get anyway, F/M, First Meetings, Kind of fluffy, One Shot, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:14:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25447444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetfang/pseuds/Sweetfang
Summary: Little three year-old Nancy can't take the constant arguing of her parents any longer and runs away from home, despite it being a winter's night. While outside she finds herself meeting the man who will leave an everlasting impact on her life for the first time.
Relationships: Nancy Holbrook & Freddy Krueger
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	Fresh Snow

**Author's Note:**

> I have always wondered why it was snowing in that scene Nancy goes to Badham and first officially meets Freddy in the movie. It was probably just for aesthetic purposes, but I like to think that it had some sort of relation to Nancy and Freddy's past. Like, maybe their first meeting took place during a snowfall and to recreate that, Freddy made that scene when they officially meet years later also snow?
> 
> That was pretty much the inspiration.

Nancy was curled up underneath her bedcover, trying to shut out all the relentless voices coming from downstairs. The little girl was only three years old, yet she already knew the horrible truth that something was wrong with her family. Her parents would't be constantly yelling at each other otherwise. All the other parents she had seen at the park were happy together and their child had reflected that. Just one big bundle of joy that looked straight out of a cheerful fairy tale.

_Her_ family however...

Nancy threw away the cover and slowly got off her bed, weariness lowering her enthusiasm. It was getting low on air in the murky cloth-cave she had hid away in. The girl didn't _really_ want to get out. She would've been fine with letting her lungs suffocate but her instincts had other plans and shoved her out into the swarm of contempt she had so desperately tried to hide her poor ears away from. Nancy stared at her towering wooden door, feeling an intense urge to kick it but she remained still on her feet, just barely. She didn't really understand what they were so angry about. She didn't understand what they ment with words like "fraud" or "betting", nor did she dare to ask for an explanation. What would happen if she got caught in the crossfire, or if both of them tried to coax her into taking sides again? 

All she knew was that she needed to get out of here. How and where didn't matter, as long as it got her away from the arguing she could care less. 

Nancy moved over to her window, observing the neighborhood as she contemplated a possible plan. It was winter now, Christmas Eve by next day in fact; unfortunately her parents' hostility denied any holiday cheer from warming up their household. Large amounts of freshly fallen white snow coated the sidewalks and tiny speckles of snow was still slowly decreasing from the sky to join their brethren on the ground. It was pitch-black out there as it was close to 11 PM. No child would be out by now and had more likely then not been put to bed hours ago. Another parental duty her mother and father had failed to honor.

Nancy opened her door and sneaked down the stairs to avoid getting caught by her arguing parents, but in all honesty, she could probably fall down the stairs and they wouldn't care. She had deliberately done just that some time ago, hoping that they would stop yelling at each other and act like normal parents. It had worked at first, but by the third time she got rewarded with a harsh scolding. Thus that plan was abandoned. It had only turned out to be a temporary solution anyway. She could see them in the living room though the stairs' balusters, her mother was waving a piece of paper around sounding generally panicked while her father seemed to try and shut her out of his personal sphere. Nancy chose to go by her father's example and covered her ears with her hands to block out as much of the scene as possible. She had heard enough and wanted out. In the hallway she picked up her shoes, winter jacket and unlocked the front door with a small click. Sure enough, they did not notice or just didn't care that the front door was opened, and the girl left to fend for herself. 

To be truthful though, she hadn't planned on _truly_ running away from home. She just wanted some alone time without any obscuring background noise that could cause her mind to think up unpleasant future scenarios. All she wanted was a normal family that was happy to be together, but alas, it seemed out of her reach. The further she went down the snowy street the more worrisome her imagination got; maybe her parents would start physically hurting each other. Maybe they would break up and she might never see one of them again...

Nancy began sprinting down the path, like she attempted to run away from her downward spiraling thought process. She had left home to avoid such thoughts! Her little feet weren't able to carry her for very long however and the cold, merciless whippings of the wind made her quickly regret going out wearing her pajamas. Her winter jacket might keep her upper torso warm and protected but it was her thin pajamas-pants that made her legs vulnerable to the elements. 

Nancy' stopped to catch her breath next to a street sign, but it only made her mouth feel dry. The sign behind her read out "Elm Street" but she knew that she had gotten far away from her usual territory. There weren't many houses around here either, making this area have a sense of desolateness. The girl could only see one house in the distance, barely peeking out from the shadows. That would be her stop, the girl thought, as she walked her way towards the building trying to ignore the bitter cold biting at her frail legs.

The first thing hat caught her eye was a large sign by the entrance of the white fence, but what it said was unreadable due to it being covered in snow. Nancy wiped the surface off with the arm of her jacket and soon letters emerged, spelling out _Badham Preschool_.

_What's a 'Badham'_? The girl thought, perplexed by the unknown word, but she decided not to ponder on that for too long and entered the school's garden. She was probably treading on the questionable side of the law by intruding on the property but who would notice her at this hour? The area was completely deserted of other houses and people, barring herself of course. It was all quiet besides her own footsteps. As she neared the front door, Nancy thought back to a few weeks ago when her mother had mentioned that she would begin preschool by the time spring rolled around. Was it this school she would be enrolled in? The surroundings looked alright enough for the three-year-old, but school ment she had to be social and interact with other people she have never met before. Nancy shuddered, not only because of the cold. She let her eyes scan the general surroundings and noticed that the snow within the garden was curiously potholed, with the white cover having soft slumps here and there. The walkway up towards the buildings door was only partially free of snow, making Nancy widen her eyes on the hints of recent activity on the lot.

_I should probably go home now anyway..._ Nancy thought as she began to slowly tread back the way she came but her back collided with something solid.

"Um..."

The trespassing girl's body froze the instant her ears caught the voice calling her out. How did she not notice someone was there!? Had she really been _that_ consumed by her thoughts? She slowly turned around, her hands covering her head which made her look even smaller then normal, but she still got a general look over the adult who had caught her red handed, even if the overbearing shadows and the falling snow made it difficult to see clearly. The adult sounded like a man and he was holding a large shovel in his left hand. He seemed to be dressed rather lightly for this type of weather. His main defenses against the elements was a gray jacket that looked more like outerwear for springtime and a woolly cap with a little puffball on his head. 

"Can I ask why you're here...um..."

He scanned the area thoroughly to confirm his suspicions. Nancy's fear turned to frustration as she quietly grumbled. He was probably looking for her parents. 

"...all alone-?"

"Yes sir, I am all alone," the girl confirmed somewhat hastily without much enthusiasm. "Now leave it be!" The man steadily inched closer to her and knelt into the snow, letting the girl finally get a clear view of his face. He had a rather sharp face with cheekbones that could cut diamonds and a rather reddish nose, indicating he had been outside for a while. Peeking out of his hat were a few brown locks of hair. The most eye-catching detail though, was his blue eyes, icy as the snow surrounding them. 

He responded to her statement with a stunned frown, not expecting all the glumness, but Nancy gave him no time to further speak his mind. 

"Were did you come from exactly? I didn't even notice you," Nancy challenged as she pointed an accusing finger at him, a bit more aggressively the she expected, but she wasn't in the mood to talk. The man held his arms up in a defensive stance.

"Whoa there, no need to be so angry!" He waved his arms nervously as he spoke. "I happen to live here you know! Moved in a few days ago in fact."

"Huh?" Nancy sneered at the man. People lived in houses, not in public buildings! "You can't live in a school!"

"Well it wasn't my initial plan." The man chuckled as his free right hand scratched his head through his cap. "I was in a... difficult situation but I somehow got the attention from some generous people who happened to work here and, well, now I'm here." He finished with a shrug. Nancy raised a brow at the man, still unsure about him. Even then, she didn't fight back as he stretched out his free hand towards her, inviting her for a lift. Maybe she was too tired to care. It had to be past midnight by now and way past bed time. He picked her up, letting her head rest on his shoulder while supporting her bottom with his forearm. His jacket felt a bit scratchy but it it was soft enough for a quick rest.

"You still haven't told me why I din't notice you." The girl murmured into his jacket.

"Just think of it as a little magic trick." The man teased as he stood up again and shoved his shovel down into the snow and began to shuffle it away from the walkway. Nancy was about to leave the subject until she saw some suspiciously small footprints in the snow coming from a shaded area of the garden. Maybe he had probably hid away when he noticed her and tiptoed behind her later? Nancy wasn't sure what she was going to do with that information.

"Can you say your name at least?" Nancy insisted as she lean back a bit to look the man in the face. As their eyes linked he gave her a gentle smile and a relaxed snicker.

"Only if you tell me yours," he needled. Nancy puffed up her cheeks while furrowing her brows at him.

"I'm Nancy", she finally huffed out, before promptly burrowed her face into his shoulder again. 

"And you can call me Freddy!" He chuckled back at her, amused by the girl's aloofness. He continued with the snow scooping, clearing out the majority of the walkway. His arm's motions were somewhat rigid due to the heaviness of the snow, but for a tired little three-year-old, any kind of rocking motion could have a lulling effect.

"Don't you have family to celebrate Christmas with? It's Christmas Eve tomorrow... or today," Nancy yawned, her voice a bit muffled by the gray fabric. Surely he had _somebody_ that could've helped him from having to live in a preschool, right? 

Freddy sighed and Nancy already regretted asking, but he was quicker. "Not really." His movements slowed until his shoveling came to a halt. "Whoever my parents were I don't know, but what I can guess is that I was unwanted. Grew up in an orphanage..." As Freddy was talking Nancy felt all the drowsiness she recently experienced shift into an uncomfortable bubbling; starting in her gut, working its way up her chest, threatening to burst out of her eyes. With Freddy's words she had now realized what her true worst fear was, and as such, she didn't hold back and let her tears smear Freddy's jacket. She could feel him being startled by her sudden outburst. 

"H-Hey, you don't need cry for me, I'll survive!" Freddy separated Nancy from his shoulder and held her out at an arm's length in the air to see her fully. The crying had flushed her face in red and her eyes glistered from the endless stream of tears. Being as noisy as she was now wasn't the best thing to do, but Nancy wanted it all out. Her mind had been plagued by this for way too long.

"Mommy and Daddy are going to abandon me too!"

With that she continued her weeping, making Freddy do a hasty scan of the area to see if anyone had heard the commotion. An adult man holding up a crying child in the middle of the night would look rather suspicious to an onlooker. Seeing that the coast was clear, Freddy nestles Nancy against his chest and rocked his arms gently, periodically shushing her soothingly. He had forgotten about his shovel by this point and had let it fall to the ground so both his arms could hold onto the distressed girl.

It took some time, but the wailing soon lowered until it was just comprised by quiet sobs and sniffling. 

"I'm sorry," Freddy apologized. "I didn't know how you had it-"

"It's okay," Nancy mumbled. "You couldn't have known." She leaned into Freddy's chest further as he let his left hand pet her head. It stayed quiet like that for some time. Nancy thought for a second that she would completely doze off being so comfortably curled up against Freddy, but remembering that she was far from home kept her awake. 

"I should probably go home now..." She sighed. There had been a part of her that had hoped her parents would've tried to search for her, but it seems to have been all in vein. Freddy tilted his head in acknowledgment. 

"Do you live far away," he asked as he set the girl back on the ground and began letting his eyes follow the road leading away from the preschool. "I should go along with you."

"No no, I can go alone." Nancy pointed towards the previously forgotten shovel lying in the snow close by. "You seem to have things to do so..."

Freddy's face lit up with a cheerful smile. "No need to worry about that! It can be done later." He shrugged as he rolled his eyes as he continued with an exaggerated nonsensical voice. "My schedule is already a mess as is. Only boredom can drive a man to shuffle snow at midnight!"

Nancy giggled at Freddy's little display, probably the first legitimate laugh she had experienced in a long time. This little outing might've not been what she had intended, but meeting Freddy turned out to be a pleasant surprise. She didn't know that many people outside her family, but Freddy was probably the first person she could call a "friend". He got her to forget that her legs were surely turning into icicles by this point at the very least. 

"I'm glad I met you Freddy," Nancy exulted as she embraced Freddy's right leg to show her appreciation. 

"Aw, t-thanks little Nancy." Freddy turned his head away from the girl, letting the shadows cover the majority of his face. His act confused the girl at first, but by turning her head in another angle she noticed that the redness of his nose had begun to spread across his cheeks and threatened to take over his entire face. She snickered mischievously.

"Heeey Mister Freddy." She dragged out playfully. "Maybe you should go inside instead and warm yourself! Your face is all red!" Freddy huffed back, seemingly out of embarrassment which made Nancy chuckle even more. So much so that it got contagious and inflicted Freddy as well. His throat was too occupied with howling then to speak, but he was able to croak out one response to her taunt. 

"C-Can't be worse then you, pajamas-girl!"

Freddy lifted the leg Nancy had attached herself to and began carefully bunny hopping towards the gate as the girl continued to have the time of her life. It was almost like being on a swing! The pleasantries didn't last for very long however. Both of their laughter died the moment they heard the echoing call of Nancy's name down the street.

"Nancy!"

In the distance Nancy and Freddy could spot two figures frantically running by the sidewalk, their heads barely letting their eyes focus on anything for more then a second. The closer they got Nancy saw they were too in their nightwear with only a thick jacket worn on top for warmth. Shuddering, Nancy began scratching at her new friend's leg until he got the hint and picked her up, letting her cuddle up against his chest. It didn't take long for them to see their daughter with an unrecognizable man as they stood by within the preschool playground, awaiting the newcomers' reactions.

"Nancy! Oh my god please don't do that again.." The girl's mother puffed out as she ran up towards her and Freddy, panting from her fatigue. Her husband was not far behind but he appeared less ecstatic over the situation, quickly painting at Nancy. "What were you thinking running off like that!?"

Freddy reacted quickly to the harsh question by squeezing the girl even closer against his body while glaring at the accuser. It turned into a staring contest between the men as both of their faces contorted periodically, like they wanted to retaliate but their lips remained nipped. It only got interrupted when Nancy's mother intervened.

"Stop it! Both of you!"

"Whatever." Nancy's father retorted as he turned his heels around to leave the establishment, presumably towards his home. Freddy's face softened up the further away his opponent got and he looked over towards the woman who stood by, her head hanging in dismay.

"Please excuse my husband sir," she began in a low tone, looking down at the ground. "He's-!" She was startled as Freddy firmly grabbed her forearm. She turned to face him and he met her a serious but reassuring expression.

"I don't know what is going on at home, but I would suggest ending it quickly." He whispered, gesturing towards the girl still curled up by his chest with his head. "Prolonging it will only make it worse."

"O-Of course." The woman's eyes shifted aiming at the man her daughter was huddling up against to the girl herself. Her lips went flat every once in a while and looked unsure, but she soon had a fiery determination in her eyes.

"I know what to do." Freddy responded with a encouraging nod and finally gave the limp girl over to her mother. It seemed like she had finally let sleep take over, but the woman looked at Nancy with internal worry, wondering if falling asleep had ulterior motives. 

"I must thank you for looking after Nancy," she praised, giving Freddy an soft smile. 

"Oh, it was nothing," Freddy responded, ending with a modest chuckle. "It was what any responsible adult would do, right?"

"Certainly," Nancy's mother agreed, feeling her cheeks increasing in temperature. 

" I don't think we have been properly introduced." She stretched out her hand towards Freddy. "I'm Gwen Holbrook, Nancy Holbrook's mother," she greeted as Freddy promptly accepted her invitation.

"The name is Fred Kruger, pleasant to meet you too."

"You know, Nancy is going to begin preschool this spring," Gwen stated, looking around the school grounds with curiosity. "I had another place in mind, but what do you say about her going here? I think she will adjust a bit better if she already knows someone. She's a shy little girl."

"That sounds like a great plan!" Freddy approved, raking at his head with his right hand. "I'm sure Badham preschool will be happy to have her, just contact the owner. I'm just the gardener so..."

"Well then, it's settled." Gwen opened her jacket to tuck Nancy inside the warmth within the coat. As she was turning the girl around with one arm to unzip the zipper with the other, Freddy caught a faint smile on Nancy's face. The gardener smirked at her. _Clever little girl._

"Thank you again for everything Mister Krueger," Gwen hummed one last time as she began the trek back home, waving towards Freddy along the way. Her daughter's head stuck out of her jacket's collar resting against Gwen's throat, making it look like the duo was a two-headed humanoid as they slipped into the darkness. Freddy returned the gesture until they finally disappeared. He finally picked up his discarded shovel, his eyes lingering at it as if hypnotized. 

He had tried to keep it to himself for as long he had known about it. It was a primary reason he had become a drifter in the first place. To escape his... problem. To run as erratically around the states as possible, hoping that it wouldn't come and bite him in the ass. He had endured it all for probably decades by this point and had experienced more then most people could ever imagine to experience. Even after Miss Russell "insisted" that he should become the preschool's gardener to "get back on his feet," he thought he could withstand it after all he had gone through.

But after meeting Nancy? 

Yeah, he was going to hell.

**Author's Note:**

> Also if you wonder why Nancy is three in this, well that's because in a blink and you'll miss it in the movie, it is stated in the hospital scene towards the end that she was born in 1992, which would make her around two or three by the time she is in Badham around 1994-1995.
> 
> Thank you for your time.


End file.
